Lo and behold a new shipment of Air Force 1 aircraft has landed, flying in well below the radar to make an unexpected arrival. Several key models are amongst the passenger list, including this Northrop P-61A Black Widow dubbed Midnight Belle and a long lost B-25 Mitchell bomber that took part in the historic raid over Tokyo in early 1942. We don’t expect these models to last long so if you’re interested we strongly suggest you kick the tires and give them a once over before they head off for parts unknown.
Air Force 1
Air Force 1 Hits the Afterburners this September
Air Force 1 seems to be back with a vengeance in 2023, claiming five more warbirds are in store for the latter half of the year. While no new toolings were announced, several fan favorites are making an encore appearance, all attractively packaged and just as attractively priced as they were when they originally flew in. Here now the newest warbirds waiting in the wings for a Harvest Moon release:
Air Force 1 Produces Everything But Air Force One
Its a tad ironic how a diecast model maker names itself after the US President’s venerable 747 jumbo jet yet somehow never gets around to making a model of it. You’d think the Presidential transport would be the first model out the door if they’re leveraging the name as a means of gaining instant notoriety. Be that as it may, AF1 will be unleashing a number of new models this January, all based upon previous best-selling releases, from the high-flying SR-71 Blackbird to a Tokyo-raiding B-25 Mitchell bomber. Here now a quick rundown of what’s in store this winter from, who else, but Air Force 1:
While their retail prices may have jumped somewhat over the last six months, AF1 continues to produce a series of high-quality model aircraft that continually sell well year-after-year. Heavy in the hand and offering great value vis-a-vis other similar lines, AF1 can certainly be forgiven for not making a Presidential transport if they continue to knock it out of the park with these and other superb replicas.
Air Force 1 Rings in the New Year with the F-35A
We have great news for all you Joint Strike Fighter fans. A squadron of F-35A Lightning IIs just landed at our distributor without so much as an early alert from the control tower. Our order is now en route to us and should be in stock some time next week. Typically, the AF1 F-35s sell very well at retail and we’ve been out-of-stock of the A version for several months running.
Of the three JSF variants, the A version is flown by the US Air Force. As such, the F-35A is the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant intended for the USAF and other air forces. It is the smallest, lightest F-35 version and is the only variant equipped with an internal cannon, the GAU-22/A. This 25mm cannon is a development of the GAU-12 carried by the USMC’s AV-8B Harrier II. It is designed for increased effectiveness against ground targets compared to the 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon carried by other USAF fighters. On August 2nd, 2016, the USAF declared the F-35A basic combat ready. The F-35A was scheduled to be fully combat-ready in 2017 with its 3F software upgrade.
A restock shipment isn’t expected until March, meaning this shipment will likely sell out quickly once word spreads of its availability.
Air Force 1 Takes Aim at the Holiday Season
With the all-important holiday season fast approaching, Air Force 1 announced the impending arrival of three new models for the aviation community. No surprises here considering the range of aircraft already available in the extensive Air Force 1 arsenal.
Of particular note are a pair of B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers, the aircraft most closely associated with the 8th Air Force’s daylight bombing campaign over Europe during the middle and late stages of WWII. “Swamp Fire” (AF10110B) is a B-17 that was attached to the 524th Bombardment Squadron, 379th Bombardment Group, then deployed to Europe from 1944-45. As such it wears the iconic olive drab scheme most collectors and aviation buffs remember when considering the exploits of the US 8th Air Force. “Miss Conduct” (AF10110C), on the other hand, comes in a shiny, natural metallic finish, which was more commonly associated with aircraft that flew with the 481st Bombardment Squadron, 100th Bombardment Group. These aircraft were lighter in weight than an aircraft clad in olive drab paint, and could attain slightly higher speeds since there was less drag.
Lastly, the Company has decided to bring back their Pak FA mold by reintroducing it as a Suhkoi Su-57 stealth fighter (AF11011A). Perhaps tearing a page out of today’s headlines, the Su-57 represents Russia’s next generation of front line fighter and was recently given the go ahead by the Russian government to go into full production. While it isn’t quite as capable as either the Lockheed F-22 or F-35 it might one day go against, its still a formidable aircraft, particularly when paired with some of the latest generation of Russian weaponry it is designed to carry.
“Wongo Wongo” is on the Way Way!
Say what you will about some of their modern era aircraft, the fact remains that Air Force 1 does a very credible job in the World War II category. We’ve sold oodles of their 1:72 scale B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers over the past couple of years so the release of their first ever B-24 Liberator bomber is certainly welcome news as the holidays approaches.
When last we spoke with our distributor, “Wongo Wongo”, their inaugural Liberator, is now winging its way to us and should be in stock for general sale early next week. Priced at just $115.99, this aircraft is certainly a bargain, especially when you compare it with similar aircraft released by Corgi over the past several years. Painted in a North African camouflage scheme, “Wongo Wongo” took part in Operation Tidal Wave, the famed Ploesti Oil Field Raid in 1943 which was intended to deliver a knockout blow to the Nazi oil refineries.
Choppers Inbound
Looks as if we are closing out the month of August in particular and summer in general with a couple of eagerly anticipated helicopters – one from Air Force 1 and the other from Hobby Master. Shown here is Hobby Master’s first look at the AH-64 Apache helicopter (HH1201), an attack helo that has served the US Army well for over thirty years. Also inbound is a Sikorsky HH-60M MEDEVAC Black Hawk helicopter from Air Force 1, which provided crucial casualty recovery and transport to US forces operating in South Korea back in 2007.
A number of other aircraft should be arriving shortly from Hobby Master, geared towards both the 1:72 as well as the 1:48 scale markets. For instance, a pair of F-111 Aardvark fighter-bombers (HA3019 and HA3020) are earmarked for a late August fly-in, both of which are already sold out at the factory and distributor’s level.
Also in shorty supply is this USMC Boeing Harrier II AV-8B jump jet (HA2622), which was operated by VMA-311 “Tomcats”. As the economy heats up and a potential blanket tariff could be imposed on all incoming products from mainland China, its very possible that these and other higly sought after diecast collectibles will become increasingly harder to come by should a trade war with China show no signs of abatement.
Air Force 1 Unleashes Another Salvo of F-35s
A few years ago, Air Force 1 released a squadron’s worth of 1:72 scale F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, eventually selling out of both the “B” and “C” variants thus leaving collectors high and dry. Happily, the Company has revisited the F-35 hangar, producing another B and now a second C version, sporting new squadron markings and, if you can believe it, the correct helmets for the pilot figures. Will wonders never cease.
Air Force 1 Hops a Ride Aboard “Marine One”
It was perhaps a matter of time before Air Force 1 got around to modelling the US President’s short-hopper, “Marine One”. After all, the manufacturer has released four operational schemes to date, so a Presidential version was likely in the cards from day one.
Based upon the MV-22B variant of the Osprey, Air Force 1’s depiction of “Marine One” bears the familiar green and white paint scheme associated with the President’s ride, as well as the tell tale “United States Marine Corps” stenciled across the length of the fuselage (AF10012B). Look for “Marine One” to lift off from the White House lawn this October.
Air Force 1 Pushes Up More than Flowers this May
It’s no secret that Chinese-based Air Force 1 has an affinity for modern aircraft fielded by the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF), so when we received their latest sales brochure we were wondering what took them so long to offer up their latest fare? This May, no less than nine new models are slated for the collector’s market, all based on platforms used by the PLAAF. Perhaps the most intriguing new replica is this 1:72 scale take on the Shenyang J-31 stealth fighter (AF10131), largely viewed by Western analysts as a pirated version of the US F-35 stealth fighter. Larger than the F-35, the J-31 may not be as capable or as stealthy as the F-35, so it remains to be seen how the PLAAF will operate their newest system.
In addition to the J-31, AF1 will make available an octet of 1:100-1:144 scale fixed- and rotary wing aircraft, which we are in the process of uploading to our site. While some critics point to a few inconsistencies and inaccuracies with the AF1 models, no one can take issue with their pricing. Most of the new items weigh in at around $20-$25, with the J-31 topping out at $49.99, certainly a bargain compared to other new modern aircraft being rolling out by other manufacturers.